Wearing apparel having foot covering portions



Jan. 5, 1960 w. w. ARTZT ETAL WEARING APPAREL HAVING FOOT COVERING PORTIONS Filed March 25, 1958 INVENTORS W/L L/AM WAL TEE AE T EUGENE 20 ATTaR/VE Y WEARING APPAREL HAVING F001 COVERING PORTIONS William Walter Artzt, New York, N.Y., and Eugene Roth, Allentown, Pa.; said Roth assignor to said Artzt Application March 25, 1958, Serial No. 723,753

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-239) The present invention relates to wearing apparel having foot covering portions, suchas, for example, leotards, tights, childrens pajamas, stockings, socks and the like, and more particularly is directed to improvements in the foot covering portions of such articles of wearing apparel and in the method by which the same are produced.

Heretofore, it has been the usual practice in producing articles of wearing apparel of the described character, to cut, from a sheet of knitted fabric, a suitably shaped blank or flat form having elongated portions correspondingto the leg and foot covering portions of the garment to be formed therefrom, with each of such elongated portions of the, blank being symmetrical about its longitudinal medial line and having the opposite edges shaped so that, when the elongated portion is folded on its longitudinal medial line, the opposite edges are superposed and can be joined together by a continuous seam. When the foot covering portions of an article of Wearing apparel are formed in the previously described manner, each foot covering portion has a pointed toe and, during wearing of the article of apparel, stresses are concentrated at the point of the toe, where the wales of the knitted fabric extend generally perpendicular to the stitched seam and are in line with each other at opposite sides of the seam,

so that the concentrated stresses cause runs in the knitted fabric beginning at the stitched seam.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide wearing apparel of the described character having foot covering portions which are formed in a manher to avoid the above mentioned disadvantages of the previously existing constructions.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide wearing apparel of the described character formed from flat blanks of knitted fabric and having foot covering portions, with stitched seams in the latter which are arranged so that, in the toe part of each foot covering portion, the wales of the knitted fabric are on the bias with respect to the stitched seams, thereby to avoid ripping or running of the knitted fabric by reason of excess stressing at the stitched seams.

Another object is to provide wearing apparel having foot covering, portions which are formed with box-like or square toes conforming more closely to the shape of the human foot and thereby increasing the comfort of the wearer.

A further object is to provide wearing apparel having foot covering portions formed from a suitably stitched blank of flat knitted fabric, and wherein the blank has a configuration which permits the disposition of the stitched seams at parts of the completed foot covering portions Where such seams will not be subjected to excessive stress, thereby to reduce the tendency of the seams to open or part under stress.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the above, and other objects, features and advantages there of, are achieved by providing a foot covering portion for wearing apparel of the described character which has a central bottom seam forming a continuation of the usual back seam of the associated leg covering portion and forwardly diverging or branched continuations of the central :bottom seam extending from the forward end of the latter and terminating at the corners of a generally square toe so that, with the wales of the knitted fabric from which the wearing apparel is formed extending generally parallel to the central bottom seam, such wales are on the bias relative to the forwardly diverging continuations of the central bottom seam to resist runs.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the part of a flat blank of knitted fabric corresponding to a foot covering portion is formed with a generally triangular extension at the free end thereof so that, when such triangular extension is folded back and joined, along its opposite side edges, to the adjacent side edges of the contiguous part of the blank by stitched seams forming branched continuations of the central seam joining together the opposite edges of the leg and foot covering portions of the blank, the triangular extension defines the bottom of a box-like toe of the foot covering portion and the wales of the knitted fabric are on the bias With respect to the branched, forwardly diverging continuations of the central seam.

In order to permit a clear understanding of the invention, an illustrative embodiment thereof is hereinafter described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a foot covering portion of an article of wearing apparel embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom View of the foot covering portion shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the part of a blank of knitted fabric intended to form the foot covering portion of an article of wearing apparel as in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3, but illustrating an initial folding and stitching operation for forming the blank of Fig. 3 into the foot covering portion of Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4, but illustrating a final folding and stitching operation involved in forming the blank of Fig. 3 into the foot covering portion ofFigs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail and initially to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, it will be seen that each foot covering portion 10 of an article of wearing apparel embodying this invention, such as, for example, a leotard, tights, stocks, pajamas, socks and the like, is integral with a leg coveringportion 12 and is formed of a knitted fabric having longitudinal wales, as represented by tthe parallel hatched lines 14. In accordance with the invention, the foot covering portion 10 has a top part and integral side parts which extend under to define the bottom Where the edges of side parts are joined by a central bottom seam 16 which is a continuous extension of the usualrcentral seam extending along the back of the leg covering portion 12. The forward end of central bottom seam 16 extends into two branched, forwardly diverging seams l3 and 20 terminating at the corners of a box-like, or generally square toe 22. The branched seams 18 and 2t) and the generally square toe 22 enclose a substantially triangular area 24 which defines the bottom of the toe part of foot covering portion 10 and which is preferably an integral extension of the upper part 26 of foot covering portion 10, and in which the wales 14 of the knitted fabric extend longitudinally, that is, generally parallel to the cen tral bottom seam 16.

Since the branched seams 18 and 20 diverge forwardly from the central longitudinal seam 16, such branched seams are at an angle with respect to the longitudinal wales 14 extending generally parallel to scam 16, so that the wales 14 are on the bias with respect to branched seams l8 and 20 and any stress tending to pull apart the branched seams 18 and 20 will not act directly along the wales and runs starting at the stitched seams will be avoided. Further, since the branched seams 18 and 20 terminate at the corners of square toe 22, such branched seams are removed from tthe point of maximum stress at the center of the toe, and the stresses acting upon the branched scams 1% and 20 are substantially reduced. Further, it will be apparent that, when the triangular area 24 at the bottom of the toe part is an integral extension of the top part 26, as in the preferred illustrated embodiment of the invention, the square toe 22, which is recognized as bein a preferred configuration by orthopedic specialists, in that it conforms more closely to the shape of the human foot, is devoid of any stitched seam extending thereacross so that the comfort to the wearer is substantially improved.

The manner in which the foot covering portion 10 of Figs. 1 and 2 may be formed in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings.

Fig. 3 illustrates a part of a flat blank or form cut from a sheet of knitted fabric and intended to provide the leg and foot covering portions of an article of wearing apparel of the described character. It will be seen that the blank of Fig. 3 is generally elongated and includes an upper part 12a, corresponding to the leg covering portion 12 of Figs. 1 and 2, and a lower part 10a, corresponding to the foot covering portion 10 of Figs. 1 and 2. Further, at its free end, the blank of Fig. 3 includes a triangular extension 24a integral with the adjacent part 10:: of the blank and intended to provide the triangular area 24 at the bottom of the toe part of the foot covering portion, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The extension 24s, the part Zttla and the parts 12a of the blank of Fig. 3 have opposite side edges 28a and 28b, 30a and 30b, and 32a and 32b, respectively, which smoothly connect to each other, and which are suitably shaped symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal medial line 34 to give the desired shape to the related parts of the foot and leg covering portions of the completed article of wearing apparel. Further, it will be seen that, in cutting the blank of Fig. 3 from a sheet of knitted fabric, the blank is so located with respect to the fabric that the longitudinal medial line 34 of the blank extends parallel to the longitudinal wales 14 of the knitted fabric.

in forming the leg and foot covering portion of Figs. 1 and 2 from the blank of Fig. 3, the triangular extension 24a of the blank is folded back onto the part ltla of the blank about a fold line 36:! (Figs. 3 and 4) extending substantially perpendicular from the edge 28a of extension 24a at the point where the edge 28a joins the edge 30a, and the edge 28a of the folded extension 24a is joined to the underlying part of the edge 30a by stitching 1851 (Fig. 4).

Then, as shown in Fig. 5, the parts 12a and 10a of the blank and the previously folded extension 24a are folded about the longitudinal medial line 34 so that a part of the edge 3% of part 10a overlies the edge 28]) of extension 24a, and the edge 28!) is joined to the overlying part of edge 3% by a line of stitching Ztia, while the remainder of edge 3% and the edge 32!) are brought into over-lying relationship to the corresponding part of edge 3% to edge 32a, respectively, and are joined thereto by stitchin. 16a forming a continuation of the stitching 2%. Thus, the stitching 16a, 18a and 20a appearing in Fig. forms the seams 16, 18 and 24) of the leg and foot covering portions of Figs. 1 and 2, and such seams are formed by only two stitching operation in which the seam 18 and the seams lid and 20 are respectively provided.

It will also be apparent that the fold 36a and a similar fold 36!) between the extension 24a and the part a of the blank at the opposite side of the longitudinal medial line 34 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) form the generally square toe 22 of the completed article of Figs. 1 and 2.

Following the final folding and stitching operation described above with reference to Fig. 5, the resulting leg and foot covering portions may be turned inside out,

4 so that the stitching 16a, 18a and 20a will appear at the inside of the leg and foot covering portions of the completed article.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Wearing apparel having foot covering portions and being formed of a knitted fabric with longitudinal wales, each foot covering portion comprising integral, seamless top and side parts and a bottom part, said top part having a straight toe which extends laterally with respect to said wales, said bottom part including a substantially triangular section extending rearwardly from said toe of the top part and having rearwardly converging, substantially straight side edges, and bottom sections integral with said side parts and having edges which, in the front portions thereof, converge rearwardly from the opposite ends of said straight toe, and which, along the remainder of their lengths, abut at the center of said bottom part, a central bottom seam joining together the edges of said bottom section where such edges abut, and branched continuations of said central seam joining said substantially straight side edges of the triangular section to said rearwardly converging portions of the edges of said bottom sections, the longitudinal wales of the knitted fabric extending generally parallel to said central bottom scam in said triangular section and in said bottom sections so that said Wales are on the bias with respect to said branched continuations of the central seam.

2. A method of producing leg and foot covering portions of Wearing apparel of the described character, comprising cutting an elongated blank of knitted fabric having longitudinal wales extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated blank and consisting of longitudinally successive parts corresponding to the leg and foot covering portions, respectively, and a triangular extension projecting from the end of said part corresponding to the foot covering portion and having straight side edges which converge in the direction away from said end, said part corresponding to the foot covering portion having straight side edge portions contiguous to, and longitudinally aligned with, said straight side edges of the triangular extension, folding said extension back against said part corresponding to the foot covering portion, first stitching one of said Straight side edges of the folded-back extension to the contiguous straight side edge portion of said part corresponding to the foot covering portion, then stitching the other straight side edge of the folded-back extension to the contiguous straightside edge portion of said part corresponding to the foot covering portion, and stitching together the remainder of the side edges of said part corresponding to the foot covering portion and the edges of the part corresponding to the leg covering portion,

3. A method of producing leg and foot covering portions of wearing apparel of the described character, as in claim 2; wherein said other straight side edge of the folded-back extension is stitched to the contiguous straight side edge portion of the part corresponding to the foot covering portion, and the remainder of the side edges of the latter, and the side edges of said part corresponding to the leg covering portion, are stitched together in a second continuous stitching operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 391,232 Dudley Oct. 16, 1888 1,434,941 Boyd Nov. 7, 1922 1,544,578 Henderson July 7, 1925 1,619,199 Evans et al. Mar. 1, 1927 2,485,004 Leuliette Oct. 18, 1949 

